Western cyclone., 1887-05-05
PICTURES OF CUBAN LIFE.
Scantiness Of Dress-ImpOrtunatc and
Thankful BeggarS.

The careleSsnesS III regard to dresses
causes some exhibitions that are ut
first Il little startling to people of Il
colder cline. But dress, like every
thing else in life ordained by man, is IA
mere conventiOnality and matter Of
''habit." We all know, of course, that
the Grecians, when they were at the
highest point of civilization and refine
ment ever reached, deemed it sin
and outrage for man or woman to
''hide the beautiful limbs the gods
had given them" I'm Havana it is not
4 matter of beautiful limbs, but of com
fort, and the higher class of people
think no more of Il negro or cody
with nothing on but a breech-clOut
than they would of seeing u mule with
nothing on but halter. In al the
stores and shops the clerks are in their
shirt-sleeves, and in most cases they
wear nothing above their white linen
trousers but a gauZe undershirt. The
children up TO five or six on even more
years Of age wear no clothes when
about the house, and II naked Cuban
yOungster can accumulate dirt enough
TO start real estate boom Most of
side of the trousers. and the negro
women 90 about with baskets and bun
dies upon their heads. wearing single
garment, Il loose-fittin% calico gown,
generally of bright colorS. which slips
down, mcovering their shoulders and
bosoms whenever they lower their
hands or take down their burdens
But they are hardly recognized rs hui
man beings.
Passing through a street in our RAM
bles about the poorer part of the city
we saw an old black heggar man asleep
on the pavement. in the hot sun. and
his sole garment was short shirt.
Speaking of beggars. OF course.
under such Il condition of things as ex-
lists in Havana, there are many of
them. There are good many TO
bother YOU when YOU sit i'm front of
the hotel. But they are nothing in
numbers. importantly, or insolence,
compared with the beggars in front of
Liverpool hotel. or. SO far n num-
bers go, anywhere in Ireland.
The beggargirlS merely hold out
their hand and petition YOU with their
wonderful eyes. Articulate speech is
a poor recourse compared with such
eyes. One dark-eyed, dark-skinned
little vagabond, held ont her dirty lit
tie paw TO me and gave me such look
1t was prayer, petition: it was full
OF tears and pleadingS. of infinite ten
derneSS, hope, and untold woe. She
said only, "CenianO, senior, and muir
INJURED all sorts of buenos. and che
quitos, and bonitoS, or something of
the sort, rs tribute to my gigantic
goodness, my enormous heart. and my
overwhelming masculine beauty.
couldn't stand it, and got out
Cuban lO-cent shinpla>ter. which is
worth about three cents. and handed
it TO her, though the hall-porter was
ordering her to ''vavaSe." or Vamos.
or something to that effect.
When she saw the shinpla>ter she
turned her great eyes up To mine as
though almost stunned by my princelv
generosity, seized my hand and kissed
1t, turned and yelled "caramba" to
some more little half-naked ra>cals,
and away they went To Il cigaret->hop.
The porter said she is the worst one in
the business.
A quiet old gentleman from Albany
was sitting near me. and woman
leading two children and carving an
other upon her head approached him
and held out her hand. He put 10
cent piece in it, and with stately grace
she knclt. kissed his hand. and called
down 4 blessing upon his head, saving:
All, Senior. que disclose sow which
comes pretty near meaning ..Ah. sir.
how happy ann
When she knelt in that solemn way.